News

High profile at high expense It is arguably the world’s most important get-together for those who wheel and deal in the serious world of wine and spirits. This year the South African presence was as professional, polished and high profile as could be. Cape...

The 29th Nederburg Auction has come and gone – with the customary hullabaloo about records… record wine prices, record participation, record turnover… Most likely also a record attendance over a record duration, because this event is now becoming...

For the next three months, buyers will have to wait patiently for wine from Van Loveren following the inundation of the cellar by the recent floods. Altogether 100 000 cases of wine were ruined, with damage amounting to R12 million. Barrels with Chardonnay from the...

He was still buttoning his shirt – a casual one with jeans – when proffering his hand in greeting in his lounge in Stellenbosch … having just arrived from one of his many flights all over the country to fulfil a plethora of obligations. But one thing...

The restructuring of the KWV group is the birth of a new organisation, said a smiling and relieved Managing Director, Dr Willem Barnard, at the special members’ meeting where a large majority of 85% agreed that the board’s plan should be put in motion. Dr...

The Central Drug Authority currently recommends that warning labels should appear on liquor bottles; that the broadcasting of liquor commercials should be prohibited between 06:00 and 22:00; that the public should be informed about “the dangers of alcohol”...

Looking at the totality of the medals awarded this year, the picture is very different to last year, probably in line with the organisers’ endeavour to raise standards even more, inter alia by means of a changed points and judging system. While the 1 491 entries...

Liquor abuse by students and even scholars has made headlines several times this year. But the wine industry is not closing its eyes to this worrying trend that is said to be on the increase. On the contrary. To tell the truth, the manifestations of the...

The Department of Viticulture & Oenology at the University of Stellenbosch is currently bursting out of its seams, as illustrated by the accompanying diagrams. With regard to the undergraduate student numbers, there has been a huge increase since 1995, which may...

The Annual General Meeting of the OIV (Office International de la Vigne et du Vin) took place in Mainz, Germany, in July. Some of the most important resolutions passed by this world body include the contentious stipulation that organic acids may be added to wine. (The...

Ascertaining research requirements and prioritising the requirements in conjunction with producers and wine-makers is extremely important to the ARC-Nietvoorbij and WINETECH. Gatherings where producers and wine-makers were informed about WINETECH and the research...